Chapter 118

Naen picked up a small note with trembling hands.

She checked the book again just in case she misinterpreted it.

But even if she check it again a few times, the contents in it have not changed.

Florin’s note reads, “I’ll give you poison, feed the prince’s dog with it.”

She couldn’t believe what she just read.

‘Why is she making me do this?’

She didn’t understand at all.

What does the prince’s pet dog have to do with Florin?

After thinking about it, she found the answer.

‘Is it because of the last marriage story?’

Her Majesty the Empress invited Florin to the imperial banquet.

Florin had reached adulthood, but her mother couldn’t find a marriage partner for her, so the empress wanted to help.

The story was formally written in a letter to the mansion.

Is it because she got angry when she read the letter?

It was something Naen couldn’t understand.

Killing the prince’s dog just because she’s angry?

As Naen knows, Florin is not a person who takes out her anger unnecessarily like this.

‘Why?’

Naen grumbled all night and found the answer.

Is Florin trying to keep the empress from retaliating against her?

No matter how much she thought, there seemed to be no answer other than that.

She’s trying to stir up trouble in the empress’ palace.

Naen picked up the crumpled note and pondered.

The young prince she encountered in the hallway came to mind.

He was a really cute prince.

She is the youngest of the sisters, so she doesn’t have a younger brother, but she thought it would be good if she had a cute younger brother.

Naen smoothed out the note in her hand.

‘I don’t think I can do this.’

If it’s a matter of her sister’s life or the fate of the family, she will go out of her way to help.

To do something that hurts an innocent animal and makes the young prince sad even if there is no big purpose, she doesn’t think she can do that.

‘About my sister’s marriage matter….., I will have to tell her in person that I think it’s better to find another way.’

On the banquet day, Florin will enter the imperial palace.

I’ll meet her in person that day and tell her I can’t do this.

***

Astelle was sewing by the window overlooking the garden. The afternoon sun warms the garden full of flowers.

It was a quiet afternoon.

While looking around the sunlit garden, she was inserting a needle into a plump cotton doll, and a low voice came from behind.

“Why don’t you have the maids do it?”

She turned around and saw Kaizen coming inside.

Astelle stood up. Kaizen frowned as he looked at the sewing box on the table.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Theor’s doll is broken again.”

Astelle turned over the teddy bear she was holding and showed the torn part.

There was a hole in the doll’s back the size of a finger.

“It’s too old. Buy him a new one.”

“Theor likes this the most. It’s a doll that has a special meaning for him.”

“Then you should have the maids fix it.”

“It’s so old that it’s hard to fix.”

Astelle smiled lightly, but Kaizen still looked dissatisfied.

“But you’re busy with your work…..”

There was a hint of concern in his complaining voice.

After the toy box incident, her relationship with Kaizen returned to normal.

Kaizen slept here once every two days.

“The banquet work has been completed to some extent. It will go on without any problems,” Astelle changed the subject.

“After the banquet, you will be busy preparing for the harvest festival.”

“Yeah.”

Just as the emperor is busy with government affairs every day, the empress also lives frantically throughout the year with the imperial housekeeping and preparations for official events.

Kaizen looked at the window where the sunlight was coming in for a moment, then spoke in a low voice, “I will be participating in the hunting competition at the upcoming harvest festival.”

“You will participate in the hunting competition?” asked Astelle in surprise.

“Why?”

“…..nothing.”

Astelle frowned.

She didn’t understand why His Majesty the Emperor was planning on going to the hunting competition.

He was a teenager when he was the crown prince, so it was nice to participate and win prizes.

It was a bit strange to do that until he became emperor.

In common sense, no one will enjoy the competition if the emperor takes part.

Kaizen seemed to have noticed what she was thinking.

“I didn’t participate last year either.”

“Is there any special reason for this year?”

Kaizen did not answer. Is there any reason why you can’t say it? Suddenly, Astelle remembered the hunting competition when she was a teenager.

Kaizen dedicated a wreath to Astelle every time he won the competition.

Astelle dried the flower crowns carefully so as not to break them, and she kept them precious.

‘What happened to those flower crowns?’

When she divorced and left the capital, she left them in the mansion.

Maybe the maids threw them away while cleaning.

“Anyway, the royal attendant will also help with the harvest festival. So don’t overdo it,” Kaizen changed the topic.

He didn’t seem to want to talk about the hunting competition anymore.

Astelle just nodded.

“Alright.”

“I’ve told you many times, but if there’s anything I can do to help you, feel free to let me know.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

At Astelle’s indifferent answer, Kaizen’s gaze turned to her again.

There was a lonely look that stayed for a while in his eyes and then disappeared.

***

Naen moved her steps with no energy.

There were no people in the garden by evening.

She walked along the side road of the garden with as little effort as possible.

After worrying anxiously for several days, she came back to the garden.

Florin’s note was burned that night.

She was worried that Florin sent her a new note and poison and hide them in the garden.

It’s okay because no one can interpret the code in the note no matter who finds it.

But the problem is different if one finds the poison hidden next to it.

‘I better get rid of it.’

That’s why she came to the garden.

Naen went to the place where she found the note every time.

When she lifted the stone under the tree, there was a small folded paper and a small pouch under it.

‘As expected, you sent it too.’

She quickly grabbed the note and pouch and turned around, but someone appeared next to the tree on the opposite side.

“Miss Naen.”

Her heart almost stopped beating.

It was the maid of the empress’ palace.

She approached Naen and spoke, “Her Majesty the Empress is looking for you.”

“Oh, no, I……”

When she heard the word empress, she could realize the reality even in embarrassment.

She has been watching over me. Was she deliberately waiting for me because she knew I would come here?

Naen clutched the pouch in her hand desperately.

“I, I….., this is….., I am not…..”

She had to make excuses, but she couldn’t think of anything to say.

Suddenly, she came to the garden and picked up a note and pouch hidden under the stone.

It was suspicious to anyone who saw it. She had no excuse.

The maid urged her, “Miss Naen, Her Majesty is waiting. Speak directly to the empress.”

“……”

She wanted to run away, but there was nowhere to escape.

Naen followed the maid with the pouch in her hand.

***

“Your Majesty the Empress, I have brought Miss Naen here.”

“Let her in.”

The empress was doing the rest of her work in the break room.

Naen walked in with shaking legs.

The empress looked at her with an unusual look.

“Miss Naen, I’m sorry for calling you suddenly when you were done with your work.”

“Oh….., no, Your Majesty……”

Naen was as pale as a corpse.

Astelle looked at the organized documents and spoke in an indifferent tone.

“I knew that Lady Florin and you exchanged notes.”

“I beg you pardon?”

Naen’s face turned paler.

“I know what’s written in the note. I’m sure Miss Florin sent the poison. Did you bring it?”

“Well, that’s……”

“Miss Naen. I asked you, did you bring it?”

Naen clutched the pouch in her hand and barely nodded.

“Yes……”

Astelle put down the document, looked directly at her, and warned, “You know that bringing poison to the empress’ palace is a grave sin, don’t you?”

“I, I……”

Naen trembled and bowed her head.

Her eyes were full of tears.

“I didn’t mean to do what my sister told me to do. I just brought it because I thought I shouldn’t leave it there.”

Naen explained the situation.

Her sister told her to kill the prince’s dog, but she didn’t want to.

She just thought she shouldn’t leave poison in the garden, so she brought it after much deliberation.

It was roughly that.

“……please, believe me, Your Majesty.”

Naen cried and begged after she finished explaining.

Astelle silently observed Naen, who was trembling in fear.

She didn’t seem to be lying.

She was already monitoring Naen and was carefully watching her actions.

Naen did not reply to Florin’s note last time.

In the meantime, she didn’t even go near the garden, but only today she went outside.

“Okay, I’ll trust you.”

Naen raised her head as if she had found hope.

Looking at her teary face, Astelle asked calmly,

“Can you do what I tell you instead?”